My grandma turns 90 today!

My paternal grandmother turns 90 today!  How amazingly blessed am I that not just one but BOTH of my grandmothers lived to be 90.  I am 47-years-old, and still have my grandmother!  Such a true blessing.

And Grandma is an amazing woman.  She loves her family, and Katie and I were so lucky to be able to spend a good deal of time with her when we were growing up.  She stopped working when about six, so she was around a lot to help with us.  Grandpa retired when I was eleven, so that meant they were both around.  They took us to their summer place in Coldwater, MI and would allow us to spend time there.  I so loved being there.  They adored my sister and me.  Grandma can fix anything too.  She is kind of like a female MacGyver.  She is just an amazing woman and I love her so much!

We need to laugh tonight

The news from our nation's capital today has been so horrific.  I don't even have words for this.  Sending many prayers for peace.

Andrew decided we didn't need to watch the endless news cycle, and I could not agree more.  When we turned it back on, I was pleased to see that Congress had reconvened, but I couldn't sit there and watch anything be debated.  I turned on my favorite show of "Big Bang Theory".  We need to laugh tonight!

The last six weeks

Six weeks ago today, it was the Monday before Thanksgiving (only ONE more day of work that week!) and Catherine came home to spend the holiday with us.  In those the last six weeks, she has spent 30 of the last 42 nights with us.  My heart broke today when I got the notification on my phone that she was back at school.  I know this is exactly how it is supposed to be, and I'm grateful for that.  At the same time, it sure is very quiet around here without her.  I know Thomas misses her tremendously.

The last six weeks of the year are really hard to beat.  The summer is delightful, although my summer will be very different.  I'm so grateful for the last six weeks.  I wish I could relive them, but I'm so grateful that I got to experience them at all.

Another trip around the sun for my husband

Today is my husband's birthday.  I am so grateful that we got to spend the day together, at least mostly.  He had baseball tonight, but other than that we were together today.  We ordered dinner in, the kids picked up a cake, and we gave him his cards.  For birthday gifts, I am having him choose exactly what he wants because many years I get him something, and it isn't what he wants, etc.  He was actually excited about this path!

I am so incredibly grateful to get to do life with him.  He is an amazing husband, father, and son.  I truly feel that I hit the jackpot when I married him! 

The end of break

Today is the last day of break.  While I always know it will come, I never like it.  And this year, I'll be honest, I am feeling especially sad about it.  With me working during the summers now, it could be another year before I get two full weeks off at a time.  And it may literally NEVER happen again that my two kiddos are both under our roof for three weeks.  I've treasured the moments and memories with my kids, and I've not taken them for granted.

While I am grateful for my job, I can't deny how much I truly, truly miss being a substitute teacher.  I know that sounds ridiculous, but I loved that job.  I recognized how wonderful that opportunity was, and didn't take that for granted either.  I appreciate the increased income from my new job, but money isn't everything.  

Overall, life is amazingly blessed, and I know that!

Putting together the puzzle

Starting last Sunday, I've been putting together a Christmas puzzle.  I had purchased it last January, and waited throughout the entire year to put it together.  It is called "Decorating the tree" and it is bringing me such joy!  It is full of so many little different Christmas symbols and colors.  It is a family with four kids and grandparents decorating the tree with a winter wonderland outside...and there are two cats and a dog as well!  It is lovely.

It reminds me of my childhood.  Every year on the day after Thanksgiving my sister and I would go to my paternal grandparents and help decorate their tree.  This lasted through my high school years.  The tree then always came down on New Year's Eve when we would spend the night with them.  My entire childhood that is where I spent New Year's Eve.  We would take down the tree and we always had fun snacks during the night as we stayed awake until Midnight.  These are absolutely precious and cherished memories!

The first day of 2021

Here we are at the first day of 2021!  I looked back at last year and I was so full of optimism for the year, and that makes sense.  Clearly I, and no one around anywhere, had any idea what the year was going to bring.  The year is done, and 2021 is here.

And today is often one of my favorite days of the year.  No one has anywhere to be, lots of great football is on all day (particularly for us Irish and Buckeye fans), and this is the beginning of a weekend.  While I've been sad today that our two weeks is nearly over, I remind myself how much I love Friday evenings on "normal" weekends.  We aren't even at that point yet, and again, so many things are awesome about today.

We rang last night in with our good friends.  They asked us to stay over and we could bring the dog.  It was really very sweet to get to hang out so much.  We are so grateful for their generosity and their friendship.

Here's to this year...whatever it will bring!